The second half of our time in Washington State was primarily spent in Olympic National Park. We enjoyed a trail run, beautiful hikes, PNW beaches, and hanging out in Port Angeles. When we left Olympic, we explored Leavenworth on the way to Montana.
Trip Diary Begins:
July 11, 2025
We headed to Coupeville in the morning, a town located on Whidbey Island. Upon our arrival, we started at a coffee shop called Sunshine Drip. We later migrated to Beaver Tales Coffee & Tea, a coffee shop and cultural gift shop that’s right on the wharf. It’s a woman- and native-owned business, and you can read more about it here. We sat on the porch by the water until it was time to catch our ferry. It was so lovely.
Fun Fact: Coupeville is the setting of the movie “Practical Magic”, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.
From there, we caught the ferry, which took us to Port Townsend. After driving onto the boat, we got out of the car and walked around, checking out the deck and taking in the #views before settling down inside the ferry. The whole ride took about 35 minutes. We then drove from Port Townsend to Port Angeles, where we kicked off our visit in Olympic National Park.
We embarked on a trail run near Devil’s Punchbowl. I hadn’t been super active in a while, and I definitely hadn’t jogged in a while, so it felt extra good. It was even more special to be doing a jogging at such a gorgeous destination.
5.75 miles later, we fueled up at Fish & Crab Shack. We ate fish and chips and washed it down with some beer. It hit the spot! I don’t know if it competes with Luna Sea Fish House, but it’s up there, alright. While digging into our meal, we ended up sharing a table with another couple, both of whom were originally from Pennsylvania.
We wrapped up our Port Angeles evening at Mighty Pine Brewing, where we each went with a flight, followed by hop water. We hung out there for a little while, and then set off to find somewhere to camp.
July 12, 2025
The trail we selected for the day was Mount Storm King, one of the more challenging hikes in the park. We began at 6 am, starting out in a lush forest. This was a pleasant surprise, as I didn’t know we’d have the forest experience on this particular adventure.
Eventually, we rose above the treeline and the hike became more open. Some time after that, there’s a section with ropes to aid in climbing the steeper terrain. We ascended a little bit further past the ropes, and made it to the picture-perfect view, the star of the hike.
From this main viewpoint, you’re treated to breathtaking scenery featuring tree-covered mountains and the expansive blue waters of Lake Crescent. It’s so surreal. The vibrant deep blue and rich green colors are a true representation of how beautiful this world is.
We realized this was not actually the top of Mount Storm King. We completed the main route from AllTrails, and hit the iconic viewpoint, but it’s not the top of Storm King. There’s another rope section and another 1,000ish feet of gain to reach that peak. We decided against it, since it wasn’t part of our original plan.
After our descent, we added Marymere Falls onto the journey. We’d already been on that trail as part of our route anyway, and just had to veer off a little to see the falls. During this section, we witnessed some tourons in the wild. A group of people snuck around a barrier that was clearly there for a reason, venturing to an area that was not meant for visitors. Jon ended up calling them out for it, and they actually came back! Not all hope is lost.
We secured our camping spot for the night at a campground in the park and drove into Port Angeles for breakfast. Then, we hit the farmers’ market! Yay for markets! At one booth, we sampled some drinks from a vendor who made beer and ginger sparkling water. As we were sampling, we were seated next to a friendly local couple.
I did some shopping, something I especially enjoy while traveling. Despite not usually buying anything, I get serotonin just from poking around. One boutique had an adorable hoodie that was one of the softest things I’ve ever felt. I debated purchasing it, but left empty handed.
We hopped over to Harbinger Wine Bar next, which had a fantastic ambience. We started by sharing a flight that had one red, one white, and one rosé, and posted up on the deck that overlooked the water. I was in heaven, sipping on wine and taking in the serene environment. Port Angeles was providing! This small port town is just so cute and has some real gems.
I kept thinking about the hoodie, and how I really wanted something to take home from this charming location. So, Jon took me back to the boutique and I made the purchase.
In the evening, we found ourselves back at Mighty Pine, where they had a food vendor serving up pizza. We opted for the pickle pizza, which was delicious.
July 13, 2025
In the morning we departed from Lake Crescent and made our way toward Forks. This part of the trip was designated for exploring the beachy areas and the Hoh Rainforest. We’d reserved camping at South Beach.
Fun Fact: “Twilight” fans will probably recognize the towns of Forks and Port Angeles. Although the story largely took place in Forks, the series was primarily filmed in Oregon and Canada.
We waited in a crazy line of cars to enter the Hoh Rainforest for about an hour and a half. When we finally got in, we began with the Hall of Mosses. This is a fairly short stroll and one of the highlights of the Hoh Rainforest. This meant it was crowded as heck! I have complicated feelings on this, which I’ve mentioned before. It’s awesome that so many people are fond of our National Parks, but the crowds can definitely be annoying and take you out of the experience a bit. It felt like Disney World. We also tacked on a portion of the Hoh River Trail, which was way less crowded. It seems like many people wait in that crazy line of cars simply to do the Hall of Mosses. Couldn’t be us!
Back in Forks, we stocked up on some supplies. Just before sunset, we stopped at Ruby Beach. Much like the beaches in Oregon and California, Ruby Beach is home to many sea stacks. I love these! We moseyed along the pebbly shore, and the rocks made a satisfying click-clack noise beneath our feet. The air smelled ever-so-delightful! We soaked in the refreshing atmosphere and cool breeze. It was a bit too cold to stay for long, but it was so pleasant. When the fog rolled in, the mystical magical vibes were enhanced. Yes, it felt like Twilight. Something about it also reminded me of Jak and Daxter.
The PNW beaches are so special, offering a cool and unique aesthetic. They’re different from beaches somewhere like Florida, and they don’t scream “beach vacation”. You wouldn’t necessarily go there to sunbathe, play volleyball, and cool off in the water. These coasts are colder and moodier, but they’re enticing in their own way. We also learned that surfing is quite popular on the beaches in Olympic.
July 14
The time had come for us to begin journeying back East toward Denver. Our first stop on the way was Leavenworth, WA, a mountain town with a Bavarian charm. En route, we stopped at Jitter House in Hoquiam. I slept for a couple hours in the car, before Jon woke me up and I joined him inside for some breakfast.
We left the coffee shop, and I was called upon to drive. This was the first time my driving was requested the whole trip, so I’m lucky for that. My shift went well, even though I don’t particularly love driving the 4Runner.
In Leavenworth, Jon cooked us up some tacos at a park. We fueled up and went to the Leavenworth Ski Hill, where Jon set out on a ride and I had myself a short hike. We returned to the main strip and ordered some local brews and a bowl of cornichons at Icicle Brewing Company.
For dinner, we grabbed pizza from Blewett Brewing Company and took it over to Bushell & Bee Taproom, a lounge-y bar, where we got kombucha.
That night, we camped at a pullout near a river. It’s always nice to hear river noises while camping. We skipped TV for the night and instead partook in some good conversation as we fell asleep.
July 15
Upon waking up, we visited the ski hill once more. I slept for another hour-ish while Jon rode. We ended up at Bavarian Bagel Co. for breakfast, which was super solid! Post-bagels, we roamed around a bit while Jon took a call, and I browsed some fun stores. We returned to Blewett Brewing for some hop teas.
It was time to hit the road toward Missoula. When we got there, we checked into the Airbnb and headed out for dinner. We went to a taproom called The Dram Shop and got kombucha on tap. They don’t serve food, so we grabbed burgers from Wally and Buck, which we ate at The Dram Shop.
We went “home” for the night, showered, watched our program, and got to bed. We talked about how much my road rash had improved, rejoicing I was no longer wearing the gauze. It was wonderful to no longer go through the torture of taking it off and ripping my skin constantly. Jon made a silly joke, saying “the gauze days are over,” to the tune of “Dog Days Are Over.”
